W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Kemp Cemetery, Farmer Township

The Works Progress Administration was formed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in reaction to the Great Depression as a means of employing Americans and stimulating the economy.  Established in 1935, one of the projects of the W.P.A. was to conduct Historical Records Surveys, one of which included finding information on cemeteries and the graves of veterans.  The W.P.A. was disbanded in 1943, but the historical information provided on these surveys continue to be of interest and are, thankfully, preserved.

In this series, some of the general surveys of Defiance County cemeteries will be shared, transcribed as written with a few punctuation and/or spelling changes for readability.  The surveys were probably done around 1936.
 
For more up to date information on the cemeteries, check out this chart on our website:
 http://defiancecountygenealogy.org/cemeteries.html

*This cemetery is also known as Kent Cemetery.

Kemp Cemetery

1. Name of cemetery:  Kemp Graveyard, origin of name unknown.

2. Location, how reached:

This small graveyard is located on the old W. S. Tomlinson farm in section 19, Farmer township, not far from the bank of Lost Creek.  It is on a back gravel road, one mile south and two miles and a quarter west of Farmer Center, from which village it can be reached by the above directions.

3. Name and address of caretaker:

Perry Hand, Farmer Center, Ohio, and under the supervision of the township trustees of Farmer Township.

Photo from www.findagrave.com

4. Name and date of first burial recorded:

Ezra Crary, 1846, and then is about the time of the graveyard's start.

Ezra Crary at www.findagrave.com

 6. Names of important persons buried there, for what noted:

Adam Farmer, one of the founders of Farmer Center and for whom the township was named.

The Farmer family in Kemp Cemetery at www.findagrave.com

 7. Markers of unusual appearance:

All of the markers are old slabs with two of the pedestal type.  There are no modern markers in the plot.  Most of the markers are so defaced that the reading is indecernible.  Up to a few years ago, this graveyard was not taken care of, and just recently they started to fix it up and reset most of the old markers.  It was recently fenced also.

8. Unusual Epitaphs:

Nothing outstanding, all the regular verses and inscriptions, so common fifty years ago, as 'Rest in Peace,' 'Gone, but Not Forgotten,' and so forth.  Many of the older stones are so dim that the writing cannot be read.

9. Is cemetery used for new burials?

This graveyard has been used once since it was fixed up, however, from around 1900 to recently, it was abandoned. It is now being revived since it a much cheaper place to bury than the costly Farmer Center Graveyard.  It is open to those who wish to use it.

C. Cadwallader and C. Gish, Reporters

Consultant: Most of this information was gained from Harry Metz, caretaker of the Six Corners Cemetery, whose address is Route #2, Hicksville, Ohio.

Perry Hand of Farmer is the caretaker, but he is so busy with the large Farmer Center Cemetery and the famous Lost Creek Cemetery, that he has not much time for this one. 

(The Works Progress Administration was formed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in reaction to the Great Depression as a means of employing Americans and stimulating the economy.  Established in 1935, one of the projects of the W.P.A. was to conduct Historical Records Surveys, one of which included finding information on cemeteries and the graves of veterans.  The W.P.A. was disbanded in 1943, but the historical information provided on these surveys continue to be of interest and are, thankfully, preserved.)